Mental Game & Life Strategy

The ability to set goals and the discipline it takes to achieve those goals without letting the rest of your life suffer are two of the most important things you need to master in order to improve as a poker player and begin getting serious about becoming a pro. One of the best parts of playing poker is getting out into the real world, playing in person, meeting new people and going on crazy adventures. This is also the riskiest part of the game because it takes you away from your comfort zone, and leaves you playing without your safety net. The solid footing of any healthy lifestyle depends balance and control, and a thriving poker lifestyle is no exception. Set realistic goals and learn to govern yourself so that you’re always working towards achieving your goals without letting the other, more glamorous things hinder your success.

Table strategy is great to know, but you'll also need to understand how to manage yourself off the table to maximize your edge - and here’s where things get personal. I invite you to keep up-to date on my life and times as a poker player, and learn from my experiences so that you can learn from my triumphs and avoid my mistakes. Any pro poker player will tell you your mind is your most powerful weapon. Sharpen it, nurture it, rest it and give it peace so you can take to the tables - and your life - with killer confidence.

Meditation calms the mind, clears your senses and prepares you to focus. The myriad of benefits from meditation are almost countless: increased concentration, emotional balance, increased creativity, decreased stress and anxiety, better memory and more. All of these are great for your poker game.

In order to gain the many benefits of meditation, you need to make it a routine. Starting with just a couple minutes a day can begin to show you results fairly quickly. Especially when starting out, people become frustrated that they can’t just ‘clear my mind already!’ This is part of the process, don’t let it get you upset, just breathe and relax. Frequency is more important than quantity. If your options were: 1 weekly session for 90 minutes or 1 daily session for 5 minutes, the daily session will yield much more benefit.

Find the right location for meditation. A quiet place void of distractions is the ideal setting for meditation. Make yourself comfortable, sitting with your spine straight. Good posture will help you have good circulation. If you find sitting uncomfortable, lie down, the point is to relax your body.

Start simply, take deep, cleansing breaths and focus on your breathing. Many people choose a “mantra” to repeat, either aloud or internally, to give the mind something to focus on. It can be as simple as the ever classic “ommm” or any sentence. ‘I am at peace’, ‘I am a winner’. The point of a mantra is to give yourself something to focus on so your mind won’t wander into worry or randomness.

As long as you are relaxing your body and trying to clear your mind, you’re doing it right. If you would prefer guided meditation, there are an abundance of resources on the internet, especially Youtube. Beginning a meditation regimen will help you improve your poker game and your life so you can Get Stackin’!